Honorary Waltz
by Shinji Shazaki
Summary: What would Integra do if an invite to a noble's event arrived, and Walter was away?  Simple: trust her instincts and take Alucard.  A/I fluff, if you want to call it that.  Read, review, and I hope you enjoy.


Honorary Waltz

[Disclaimer: Kouta Hirano owns "Hellsing".  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

The crescent moon gleamed through the blue-tinged smoke.  Integra frowned, staring out the window at the night.  Behind her on her desk lay a small envelope.  She knew such a small note could make her so angry, but she only expected one from the Iscariot organization.

"I can't believe this." she muttered.

"Believe what?" Alucard strode into the office through the shadows, as was his wont.

"That letter on my desk." Integra replied, taking a draw on her cigar, "Read it."  Intrigued, Alucard walked to the desk and picked up the little envelope, extracting the letter from within.  He read it carefully and then tossed it back down to the desk.

"I'm not sure I understand your distress, master." he said, walking to stand by her chair.

"That letter was an invite." Integra answered, "A request for me to appear at a ball for nobles in Britain.  It's being held by the Queen tomorrow night."

"How classy." Alucard snorted with a smirk, "So why are you so upset?"

"I require an escort.  A male escort."

After a moment, Alucard chuckled low in his throat.  Of course, that was why she called for him in her mind.  Walter was gone for the next week somewhere, as he sometimes did.  The soldiers were out of the question—they were soldiers, and most were quite uncouth.

"So, do you wish for me to escort you?" he asked, his crimson eyes turning to gaze at her.

"I have no one else to turn to." Integra replied, "I understand if you could care less, but this is an order."

"I wasn't going to refuse, master." Alucard smirked, nearly laughing at the seriousness in Integra's voice.

"However, there are other things I need you to comply with." Integra sat up straighter, looking at her servant sharply, "You cannot bring your guns.  Nor can you insult any random person you want.  These are nobles, and I don't even want to think of what would happen if you insulted the Queen by accident."

"Certainly, my master." Alucard replied, "I will not say anything unbecoming of these people unless you wish me to.  And I will not bring my guns.  I doubt any ghouls or freaks would show up there.  There will be too many armed forces to guard all the nobles, and especially since you'll be there."

Integra blinked, and Alucard had vanished.  She sighed and closed her eyes, letting a small smile crawl onto her face.

----------

The atmosphere was less than comfortable for the master of the Hellsing house.  She knew that if Walter heard she had smoked her cigars, he would be livid, so she had avoided bringing them.  However, she deeply regretted that decision.

Alucard stood close by, a very small smirk on his face.  The two were close to one of the walls, avoiding the light and eyes of all others in attendance.  The vampire had been searching his mind for the best word to describe the other nobles he saw and heard and had recently found it.

It was pompous.

He glanced down at his master and smirked a little more at the peeved expression on her face.  She was wishing she did not have to attend such a thing.  She also wished that she didn't have to even listen to such arrogant people.  Her vampire's sharp wit and sarcasm was the best thing to her ears, in her opinion.

"How crude."

Integra's eyes snapped up and to attention, staring at the brown-haired man before her.  His brown eyes were disapproving, and a frown was on his face.

"You bring a filthy monster to such an event?" he scoffed, "How unbecoming of a noble of Great Britain."  Integra wasn't up for listening to a fool ramble about what he didn't know, so she decided to shut him up swiftly.

"Alucard seems to have better manners than you, sir." she jibbed softly, one eyebrow rising elegantly.

"I'm so sure." the man replied, looking Alucard up and down condemningly.  He took in the wide-brimmed red hat and glinting yellow sunglasses.  He stared at the red trenchcoat and blood-colored tie.  The man frowned again.

"Well, perhaps he has better manners than his master." he scorned the woman harshly, "But you both are, no doubt, just pathetic heathens."  Integra's eyes narrowed slightly.  She wanted to kick this pompous bag of rat droppings where the sun didn't shine as hard as she could.  Or perhaps just get a pistol from a guard and shoot him.  The former would be a bit more fun, if not still an improper thing to do.

Her pale blue eyes caught Alucard's arm moving to reach inside his coat.  Her eyes widened in shock—she had forbade him to bring his guns!  The other noble must have picked up on what her eyes said and looked very frightened.  So frightened, in fact, there appeared a dark spot on his trousers.

Alucard smirked broadly with a chuckle and slowly withdrew his hand.  Caught betwixt his fingers was a trimmed red rose.  He hooked the flower in the space on her lapel, stepping back gracefully afterwards.  A waltz began to play from the musicians.

The No-Life-King bowed low to his master, one arm crossing over his chest and the other sweeping out grandly beside him.

"May I have this dance, my master?" he asked softly.  Integra found herself at a loss, and she wasn't the only one.  Those who had been watching the altercation were dumbfounded at the vampire's actions.  After a moment, she regained her composure.

"Certainly." she answered.  Alucard straightened to his full height, extending his gloved hand to Integra.  She lay hers in his softly, pleasantly surprised at him.  He led her to the dancing floor, laying his hand on the small of her back and smiling.  She let her free hand rest on the arm that was wrapped around her and smiled back at him.  They began to waltz.

"I never would have pegged you as a man who waltzes." Integra chuckled, following her servant's lead for once.

"There are many things about me that you don't know, master." Alucard replied with a simple smile, "Perhaps one day, if you ask, I will tell you."

In a few minutes, the waltz ended.  Integra felt—disappointed?  It seemed strange to feel that way about leaving Alucard's embrace, but there was no reason to stay there.  The Hellsing master felt all the eyes of the nobles boring into her.  She glanced once to Alucard to tell him that they were leaving.

----------

"I suppose I should thank you."

"I don't see a reason.  It was most…interesting."

Integra glanced up at Alucard from her desk.  She sat in her chair, hands propped and fingers laced before her mouth.  There was a pause before Integra sat up straight and looked at her servant.

"What kind of things don't I know?" she questioned.

"My past." Alucard smirked, "And of course…how I feel about you, master."

Before Integra could ask or respond, Alucard had faded away.  She blinked bemusedly for a moment before leaning back in her chair and smiling.

"I may not know how you feel, but I do know," Integra murmured to herself, "that I certainly enjoy your company more than anything else."

A pair of red eyes closed contentedly in the shadows as Integra's blue eyes closed peacefully.

_—end—_


End file.
